Baled hay loader attachment for tractors



March 30, 1954 D. GARDNER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 26 1951 Roy 0. Gardner INVENTOR.

f A Ilomqs March 30, 1954 R. D. GARDNER 2,673,653

BALED HAY LOADER ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS Ray D. Gardner INVENTOR.

WWW m March 30, 1954 R. D- GARDNER BALED HAY LOADER ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS Filed Nov. 26, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Roy 0 Gardner INVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 30, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BALED' HAY 'L'OADER ATTACHMENT FOR TRAGTORS Roy.D.LGardner, Las Animas, Colo.

ApplicationNovember 26, 1951, Serial No. 258.174

-6 Claims. 1 This invention relates to new and useful improvements in loading apparatus and the primaryobject of the present invention is to provide a device mounted in front of a loading machine for engaging and moving bales onto a frame forming part of' the device, whereby the bales may be carried to a disposal or stacking area.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a baled hay loader com- "posed of a wheeled'frame having a rotatable shaft at its forward or leading end that is operatively connected to a supporting wheel of the frame so that the shaft will be rotated as the frame is pushed forwardly to move bales onto the frame.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device of the aforementioned character that is quickly and readily attached to or removed from 'the'usual lift means or raispractical in construction, strong and reliable in use, efficient and durable in operation, inexpensive to manufacture, install and service, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, references being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of the present invention mounted on a loader;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the present invention;

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 5-5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of one corner of the present invention; and,

Figure '7 is a perspective view of the wheel mounted, used in the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numeral [0 represents a substantially rectangular frame composed of angle iron end members I2 and forward and rear angle iron longitudinal members l4 and 16. The central portion of the member I6 is connected to aback frame portion I l by a pair of spaced parallel transverse angle iron rails I 8 and 20. A plurality of spaced parallel slats 22 extend between the members [4 and I6 and their ends are secured by fasteners 24 to the lower flanges'of the members I4 and I5.

A hearing 26 is fixed to a forward end portion of the frame I!) and extends parallel to members 12 and I4 to receive the forward lateral projection 28 of awheel mounting rod '30. The rear laterally projecting portion 32 of rod 30 fixedly supports a slotted arm 311 whose slot slidably receives a rod 36 pivoted at its lower end to the central part of member l6. Aspring 38 embraces the upper portion of rod 36 and is biased between an abutment 40 removably fixed on rod 36 and the arm 34 to yieldingly urge the rod 30 downwardly.

A horizontal axle 42 is fixed to an intermediate portion of the rod 30 and projects laterally from the rod 30 to rotatably support a ground wheel 44 having a sprocket 46 centrally fixed thereto for a purpose presently to be described.

The forward ends of the end members [-2 support sockets or hearing elements 48 that are reenforced and strengthened by webs or braces 59 fixed by welding or the like to the sockets 48 and shoes 72 welded to the ends of members l2. The

ends 52 of a shaft 54 are rotatably supported in the sockets 48 and the shaft 54 is composed of facing angle iron members 58 and that are welded together to form the shaft 56 which is'square in cross-section.

Ends 52 comprise stub axles that are fixed to the outer ends of the members 58 and 60. The inner adjacent ends of the members 58 and 60 are joined by a central rod 62 that is rotatably supported in bearings 64 on an upstanding U- shaped flange 66 welded to a U-shaped shoe 68 having an upwardly flared forward portion 10. The flange 66 is suitably secured to the forward ends of the rails l8 and 20.

Shoes 12 are fixed to the forward ends of the end members l2 and include upwardly curved forward ends 14 that coact with the shoe 68 in slidably engaging the ground to support the forward end of the frame Ill.

A sprocket 16 is fixed on the central rod 62 and another sprocket 18 is journaled on the portion 32. A sprocket chain extends about the sprockets l6 and 18 with its lower flight engaged over o the sprocket 46 so that as the wheel 44 moves forwardly, the sprocket 16 will be rotated clockwise, as shown in Figure 3.

In practical use of the present invention, the arms A and A of a conventional loader L are pivoted to the member [4, as at 82. The tilt cables C of the loader L are attached, as at 84, to the member 14, so that the frame may be raised, lowered or tilted by the conventional means of the loader L.

When the frame it is lowered to an operative position and pushed forwardly by the loader L, wheel 44 will ride on the ground to rotate shaft 54 and as the shaft 54 engages a bale of hay H the same will be directed onto the frame as shown in Figure 4. Then, the frame may be raised and the bale or bales collected on the frame dumped therefrom.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A device for loading bales of hay, said device comprising a frame having forward and rear portions and a central transverse opening extending between said portions, a wheel mounted on the rear portion of the frame and within the opening, skids on the forward portion of the frame, a horizontal shaft rotatably supported on the forward portion of the frame perpendicular to the opening for moving bales of hay onto the frame as the frame moves forwardly against bales of hay and as the shaft is rotated, a drive con nection disposed within the opening and extending between the wheel and the central part of the shaft, and a U-shaped flange secured to said forward portion across the forward end of opening and rotatably supporting the shaft.

2. The combination of claim 1 and a socket on said frame, an elongated rod within the opening and having forward and rear lateral projections, said forward projection being received in said socket, means securing the rear projection to said frame, and an axle secured to and projecting laterally from an intermediate portion of said rod and rotatably supporting the wheel.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said drive connection includes a sprocket secured to said wheel, an idler sprocket rotatably supported on the frame behind the wheel, a third sprocket fixed on said shaft, and a sprocket chain trained about all of said sprockets.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said shaft comprises a pair of elongated angle iron members welded together in facing relationship and forming a hollow beam that is square in cross-section.

5. A baled hay loader comprising an elongated frame having end flanges and forward and rear portions, bearings carried by the end flanges at the forward portion of said frame and facing each other, a shaft extending longitudinally of the frame and having end portions rotatably supported in said bearings, a ground wheel rotatably supported on the rear portion of the frame, a drive connection between the wheel and the shaft for rotating the latter to move bales of hay onto the frame, said frame having a central transverse opening extending between said forward and rear portions, a socket fixed to the frame at the forward portion of the opening and extending at right angles to the opening, an elongated roddisposed transversely of the frame and disposed in the opening, said rod having a forward lateral projection received in the socket, an axle fixed to and projecting laterally from the rear portion of the rod and supporting the wheel, a bar pivoted to and extending upwardly from the rear portion of the frame, a slotted arm at the rear end of the rod received on the bar, a spring on the bar and biased downwardly against th arm, and a nut on the bar forming an abutment for the spring.

6. A device for loading bales of hay, said device comprising a frame having forward and rear portions and a central opening therein, a ground wheel mounted within said opening, a horizontal shaft rotatably supported on the forward portion of said frame perpendicular to the opening for moving bales of hay onto the frame as the frame moves forwardly against bales of hay and as the raft is rotated, a driv connection between the wheel and the central portion of the shaft, a pivotally mounted member disposed in said opensaid v. heel being journaled on said member, and resilient means interconnecting said frame and pivotal member for urging said wheel into contact with the ground.

ROY D. GARDNER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 468,559 Chatfield Feb. 9, 1892 1,853,253 Bennett Apr. 12, 1932 1,912,232 Wehrhahn et al. May 30, 1933 2,126,387 Hinds Aug. 9, 1938 2,390,419 Brown et al. Dec. 4, 1945 2,435,534 Voth Aug. 6, 1946 2,462,152 Young et al. Feb. 22, 1949 2,433,919 Clausen Mar. 1, 1949 2,468,297 Jones Apr. 26, 1949 2,518,293 De Anguera Aug. 8, 1950 2,525,870 Crofoot Oct. 17, 1950 2,635,884 Christiansen Apr. 21, 1953 

